Elastic tied back curtain



Sept 23, 1952 l R. s. VAN CLEEFF 2,611,428v ELAsTrc TIED BACK CURTAIN Filed Nov. l5, 195.0

l Snventor ,90am SAM V/y/v 61.65F;

Gttomeg;

Patented Sept. 23,1 1952 Robert Sam Vani Cleeff, Memphis, Tenn., assignor to The Fashion Curtain Company, a corporaj vtion of Tennesseel .Applicaties november 15, 195o, serial No. 195,833

' l This invention relates to tied back curtains, and particularly to a fabric curtain'to which an elastic strip is permanently attached, the elastic strip havingk av normally contracted length equal to thevdesired drawn or tied back width of the curtain, andbeing stretched to the spread and width of the curtain and attached through-gr out its lengthto the curtain while so spread out.

The objects of the invention are:

To provide a tied back curtain which is gathered uniformly throughout its width and avoids unequal and unseemly bunching;

To provide a curtain and a tie backqstripattached throughout its length to said curtain wherebyY thevcurtain is free from loose or tachable parts;

To provide a tied back curtain having an elastic strip attached throughout its length to the curtainA body whereby the curtain may be smoothly spread out as for ironing;

To provide a tied back curtain, including a smooth curtain panel, an overlying rutile forming sash member, and an underlying stretched elastic strip continuously secured together, said strip gathering said curtain and strip, and be'- ing adapted to be smoothly spread out as for ironing.

The mea-ns by which the foregoing and other objects are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will readily be understood from the following specification on reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevational view of a curtain, which may be one of a pair, spread out to full width with the elastic tie back stretched to the curtain width and attached to the curtain.

Fig. 2 is a face view of the curtain with the tie back contracted and the curtain drawn to tied back position and a view of a fragmentary portion of a pair-completing curtain.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation taken on the line III- III of Fig. l.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals, I is the panel portion of a curtain, which may have a curtain rod hem I2 along its upper edge. an upper rutile I4, a side edge ruflle IB, bottom ruille I8 and a sash ruflle 20.

Secured to the back of the panel is a strip of elastic webbing 22 which has normal or contracted length eaual to the desired tied back width of the curtain shown in Fig. 2. The webbing extends from the outer edge of the curtain across `the curtain to the inner edge and is inclined downward at a minor angle simulating the droop that the usual tie back cord or strip has when the curtain is tied back. `The` sash ruffle 20, if used, extends similarly across the curtain,v has substantially the same downward inclination from back to front and along its upper edge overliesthe elastic strip. The ruflle preferably has hemmed or finished edges and is formed from a strip of fabric of ruffle-width and a length equal to the width ofthe panel.

In assembling, the ruie stripand the curtain body l0 are spread out with the face side of the curtain downward and the ruille strip underlying the curtain and positioned there across in its desired relation and inclination t'o the curtain, the elastic webbing 22 is stretched to the full width of the body and alined at the desired position and inclination overlying the ruille strip adjacent .its upper edge, and the lelastic webbing, curtain body, and strip are secured together preferably by a double row of stitching 24. If diiliculty be had the ruflle may first be basted or stitched in position by a row of stitching, not shown. A small ring or loop 26, shown in Fig. l, may be secured tothe back of the elastic strip at the back edge'ofthe curtain for engagement with a suitable tie back hook, not shown, the ring or loop preferably being concealed by the curtain. After stitching, when the tension on the webbing is released the ruffle strip is gathered by retraction of the webbing into the ruille 20, and the underlying curtain body also evenly gathered in tied back position without unseemly bunching.

It will be understood that the elastic webbing 22 while preferably placed behind both the ruffle 20 and the curtain I0 might equally well be placed between the ruffle and body without appreciably detracting from the appearance of the curtain and that it would function as well should appearance be ignored and the webbing be placed in front of both curtain and rutile.

I claim:

1. A window curtain comprising an elongated vertically disposed panel, a ruille secured along the inner edge of said panel, an elastic strip secured along a line generally transversely across said panel intermediate its length, said panel being normally gathered along said line and yieldingly retained in gathered condition by said strip, said elastic strip when untensed being of a length slightly in excess of the gathered width of said panel along a horizontal line adjacent said gather line and being disposed diagonally of said panel with the inner and outer ends of said elastic strip being respectively flush with the inner and outer edges of said panel to automatically drape said panel in a predetermined position, a sash rufe positioned along said gather line, said sash ruflle and said elastic strip being secured to said panel by a common double row of stitching spaced respectively below and above the upper and lower edges of said elastic strip, attaching said strip to said panel centrally along the length of said strip establishing upper and lower free edge portions, each said edge portion being of a depth substantially equalto the space between the rows of said stitching.

2. A Window curtain comprising an elongated vertically disposed panel, an elastic strip secured along a line generally transversely across said panel intermediate its length, said panel being normally gathered along said line and yieldingly retained in gathered condition by said strip, to automatically drape said panel in a predetermined position, a sash ruflie positioned along said gather line, said sash ruille and said elastic strip being secured to said panel by a common stitching Aspaced respectively below and above the upper and lowerv edges of said elastic strip, attaching said strip to said panel centrally along the length of said strip establishingrupper and lower free edge portions, the combined depth of said edge portions being substantially4 in excess of half the depth of said elastic strip.

3. A curtain comprising a substantially rectangular panel, a tie-back portion extending transversely across said panel intermediate its ends, said tie-back portion comprising a strip of fabric and at least one elastic strip, and means securing together said fabric strip, said panel and said elastic strip While said elastic strip is maintained under tension. 4. A curtain comprising a substantially rec- -tangular panel, a tie-back portion extending transversely across said panel intermediate its ends, said tie-back comprising a strip of fabric and elastic strip means, and longitudinallyspaced means securing together said fabric strip, said panel and said elastic means, while tension is maintained on said elastic means.

5. A- window curtain comprising an elongated vertically disposed panel, elastic strip means secured along a line generally transversely across said panel intermediate its length, said panel being normally gathered along said line and yieldingly retained in gathered condition by said strip means, to automatically drape said panel in a predetermined position, a sash ruffle positioned along saidgather line; said sash ruffle and said elastic strip means being secured to said panel, while tension is maintained on said elastic strip means, by common stitching spaced respectively below and above the upper and lower 'edges oi' said sash rufile, attaching said strip means to said panel along the length of said strip means and establishing upper and lower free edge-portions on said sash ruffle.

l 6. A curtain comprising a substantially rectangular panel having a ruiile extending along one of the sides thereof and a tie-back portion, said tie-back portion extending transversely across said panel butl terminating short of said ruiiie, said tie-back portion comprising a strip of fabric. material intermediate the ends of said panel, elastic strip means substantially parallel to said fabric strip, and means securing together said panel, said fabric strip and said elastic strip means, While tension is maintained on said elastic strip means.

ROBERT SAM VAN CLEEFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Spiegel et al Feb. 5, 1952 

